


Love from the Past, Friends of the Present

by DPXxana



Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, F/F, F/M, Multi, Reincarnation, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27583906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DPXxana/pseuds/DPXxana
Summary: Miyo, a headstrong girl with a troubled past, doesn’t care to uncover more about her previous incarnations. All she wants is to be the Shaman King and bring balance to the world in whatever peaceful way she can. Too bad her past incarnations apparently made a lot of enemies and one powerful friend. Now she has to suffer the consequences of the actions she knows nothing about, avoid her past love who she doesn’t know, and perfect a power she can’t control. Luckily for her, she has some patient friends that are willing to give her a hand.Note: This story has a lot of OC’s and changes different aspects people are familiar with. The main pairing is the lead character with Hao, but I’ve added other OC’s of mine and OC’s made by my friends that are also paired off with different characters. I’ve loved Shaman King since I was a kid and have been excited to hear about its comeback. In other words, this story is pretty self-indulgent for my friends and me, but I think others will enjoy it!
Relationships: Asakura Hao/ Original Character(s), Asakura Yoh/Original Character(s), Kyoyama Anna/ Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Shamans have been around prior to man grasping the concept of an afterlife, acting as a bridge between the living and the dead in order to help maintain some resemblance of balance within the universe. This has been a commonly accepted idea, although it would not be considered a universal truth once one actually looks at the individuals who make up this group. While balance has been many shamans’ goal, not all desire it. Some believe humans were cancerous and should be completely wiped out, while others believed that humans should rule over all the land. It seemed that even being in tune with the past and the deceased, did not keep people from formulating their own opinions. How could it? They may be shamans, but at the end of the day, they are just as human as the rest. 

  
  


* * *

Two young women were laying in a clearing, both wearing the obvious signs of physical exertion. The sweat on their brow and heaving chests was the reward from a long day of training, having pushed them to their physical and spiritual limits. It wasn’t every day that someone got the chance that they were being given, and they weren’t going to squander it.

Most, if not all, shamans were preparing for the tournament. For centuries people had been training their children for the chance of achieving the power of a god. Five hundred years have passed since the last one, meaning it was finally time for a new Shaman King to rise, and this time it was going to be Miyo. 

Her hair made it look as though she were resting her full body on an eclipse, some strands clinging to her as she continued to swelter beneath the sun. Brightly colored eyes were closing with every breath she drew in, risking what would be a well-earned nap. The deep ache she was feeling all over was telling her that the work done today was worth it, and while being in pain wasn’t her favorite thing, it at least let her know she was on the right path. 

“Okay, I think...I think we got the oversoul thing figured out. Or at least we know how to make it.” Miyo managed to speak in between gasps, opening her eyes and glancing at her friend. Since the two became friends as kids they had been driving each other to be the best they can be. Part of this was because one would not allow the other to rest unless they truly felt they were done for the day. Miyo was hopeful that they were both done since she was sure neither of them had any strength left. 

“Yep. Think we’re done for the day.” Anora was just as out of breath as her friend, nodding just in case her words failed her. By the looks of it, her lungs must have been just as on fire as Miyo’s.

  
  


Miyo groaned as she slowly sat up, Anora essentially giving her permission to rest for the remaining daylight. Both of their spirit partners seemed to be resting as well, neither of them present after their over souls vanished. While they had close bonds with their spirits, neither of them were real talkers. One never spoke directly to anyone and the other only spoke when needed. It was an interesting contrast since Miyo recognized how much she talked.

A hand was extended in front of her face and she realized Anora had managed to get on her feet before she did. Miyo smiled and grasped the hand, allowing herself to be pulled up. She fumbled a little, leaning against her friend to wait until her world stopped spinning.

“Let’s head back to the hotel. I’m sure you’re ready to pass out. And if you pass out before then, I’m not catching you.” Anora’s smile at the implication at least let Miyo know that she was joking, but she also wouldn’t blame her for just leaving her. There had been a few too many times that the girl had passed out and she could imagine it was just as annoying for Anora to pick her up as it was to experience it. 

“Actually, I figured I’d stop by somewhere to get us food. Groceries are low and we don’t have money for anything to be delivered.” Miyo ran a hand through her hair in hopes to get the twigs out and tame it. 

“Alright fine. Guess we’ll walk halfway and then split up. Is your spirit gonna come get me if you fall?” Anora teased playfully, recalling the many times that the poor guardian spirit had to take on the task of getting his master home. Miyo laughed and shook her head.

“Honestly, just let me lay there. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.” Miyo dusted the loose grass off of her pants before they started their walk back into the large city that they were temporarily calling home. Tokyo.

* * *

  
  


“Tokyo is so gorgeous! We should really come here more often! Ya know, after the shaman stuff!”

Miyo and Anora were making their way along the sidewalks, Anora making sure to pay attention to the directions since Miyo seemed to be getting distracted by everything in her sight. From street food to stray animals, her attention was on everything but their path. Typically they didn’t visit large cities since neither of them wasn’t big fans of crowds, but Miyo still managed to appreciate it when their visits were short.

“Your sister lives here now, right?” Anora asked, grabbing hold of Miyo’s arm to keep the girl from going into traffic. Anora didn’t know much about Miyo’s twin, but neither did Miyo. The two of them had been separated at a very young age and did not get to actually meet till the previous year, but even then they did not get to spend much time together. Instead, most of the twin’s conversations were done over the phone. 

“Yeah, I should really meet up with her. Apparently, she’s living with her friend and his fiance?” Miyo stated, grinning as carelessly as ever. 

Anora tilted her head in some confusion, having recalled overhearing a very different conversation

“Fiance? I thought she was living with her girlfriend?” Anora asked, brows furrowing as she tried to figure out when she might have misheard what was said.

“That too.” Miyo was obviously not as invested in the conversation as Anora, her eyes looking around the city and Anora began to simply drag her along. They came to a stop at one of the many intersections, waiting for the crowd to move before they would.

“This sounds like something that’s gonna give me a headache, so I’m not gonna ask till I’m ready to hear it.” 

“Oh no, don’t worry! It’s not sketchy. I think it’s some kind of convenience thing. Actually, I didn’t ask for any details...” She never saw much of a reason in grilling her sister on life choices. Neither of them had much of a claim over the other, and it just seemed rude to ask. Plus, Miya had always been casual enough with the conversation to not set off any alarms that would make Miyo worried.

Miyo picked up walking speed as soon as the light gave her the signal, trying to match the pace with everyone around them. 

“You know, you say that, but I just can’t see it. Granted, I know your experiences and all I know about you is sketch.” Anora let out a laugh, finding amusement in the fact she could get Miyo’s grin to drop so suddenly. If they hadn’t been in the middle of the street, she was sure Miyo would have stopped completely to give her a glare.

“Okay, first off, that’s not even fair because I haven’t dated nor have I tried to date. Secondly, I trust my sister...well, she seems like a good judge of character anyway.” Miyo didn’t lose any confidence in her words as she spoke.”

“Well, you tend to not be according to my ancestors.” Anora still had the smirk on her face.

“I don’t think it’s fair to hold things I can’t remember against me. Well, looks like this is where we branch off. I’ll see you back at the hotel!” Miyo waved at her friend before turning on the street, heading to the store while Anora headed back to the hotel.

  
  


Miyo grabbed a few items from the convenience store, sticking to the cheaper end of options. Travel wasn’t cheap and while the Patch was working hard to provide for the Shamans, the girls had decided to mostly fund their own stay. Miyo didn’t like the idea of rooming too close to other shamans and Anora agreed that it was probably best to keep enemies from being next door. 

After paying for the few items she started her trek home, the sun having completely set. The shaman had looked to the sky and felt a little twinge of sadness that more stars could not be seen, though she expected that was just the price to pay for city living. The tournament would be over eventually though, and then she can go back to a more open space area. She smiled to herself as she wondered about what the tournament was going to be like, already feeling her Furyoku replenish itself a decent amount. 

“Hey Kit, how you feeling?” She called out, not really bothering to see if anyone was around them. A small orb with fox-like features formed by her head, looking towards her affectionately as if to answer her question. While Kit never spoke with words, the two of them could always communicate well enough to have a full conversation. Perks of having known each other for so long. 

“I know, I’m excited too! And look, this time I didn’t even need a nap before I started to recharge. We’re finally gonna see the fruits of our labor. Oooo, just wait Kit. We’re going to be amazing at this thing! You, me, Anora, and Vala!” Miyo laughed, a skip to her step as she started to cross over a bridge. 

Kit seemed just as excited at her words as she was, the spirit doing a few flips to show off and earning another laugh from his master. 

Both of them had been so focused on each other that Miyo had stepped too close to the edge, a slip of her foot causing her to fall into the river. 

* * *

  
  
  


Miyo sighed as she attempted to wring her shirt a little more, still soaked to the bone from falling into the river. While she normally welcomes the cooling sensation of a rushing stream, she would have preferred it to be during the day or, better yet, not when she was still a while away from the hotel and had food items on her.

She complained under her breath as she felt another draft go by, chilling her skin and causing bumps to raise. She planned on continuing her path, but she stopped in her tracks and turned her attention to a man that was behind her. Funny, she didn’t sense him a moment ago. She quickly glanced him up and down before crossing her arms.

“One of the Patch, right?” It didn’t have to be worded as a question, his attire and the fact he seemed to be waiting on her gave it away. Granted, his expression was an interesting one. He looked as though he were uncomfortable to be in her presence, though she couldn’t think of why. 

“I see you’ve already become well aware of who we are. And you are Miyo, yes?” He asked, tone almost sounding wary to her. She tilted her head as she tried to figure out why he was acting so oddly. Then again, it could just be his personality.

“Yeah, that’s my name...And I’ve met another member recently when they offered to find us housing...So, do you have business with me?” She asked, no longer aware of the coldness that was surrounding her, her attention being only on the man in front of her. 

“I do actually. First, let’s find somewhere private and quickly. I have a busy schedule tonight.” His words were kept short as he began to walk down a nearby street. 

Miyo followed behind him with little complaint. The Patch were the ones who oversaw the shaman fights and, while Miyo probably shouldn’t follow strangers, she figured whatever he needed was in relation to that. 

Once they reached a place where they were less likely to run into others, the man turned around and signified for Miyo to stop.

“My name is Silva. I am one of the 10 patch members that are overseeing the fights. To qualify for the tournament you have to land just one hit on me.” Silva said confidently, crossing his arms and waiting for a response. It seemed his previous wariness had subsided, most likely due to the fact he was focusing on his job now. 

“One hit?” Her eyebrow raised as she tried to assess his person. She didn’t fully trust his words, expecting there to be some underlying rule or a trick to what was to be seen as a simple task. While she had confidence in her abilities, she knew it couldn’t be as easy as it seemed. 

“Yep. Do you agree with the terms? I have a lot of people to see tonight so make the decision quickly.” He glanced at his wrist, expecting something that Miyo assumed to be a kind of watch. 

Miyo grinned and held out her hand for Kit to land in it softly, the spirit having a look of confidence that matched his master. 

“Oh, you’re so on, dude! I’m a little tired from earlier today, but I think I got enough energy left to spar a little!” She eagerly grabbed hold of her weapon, a flexible whip-like item with blades running along with one side. She quickly fused Kit With her weapon, creating the oversoul she had just been practicing earlier in the day. The spirit energy encompassed the entire weapon, a pale light admitting from it that formed a foxtail. Along her arm formed a few pieces of armor, Kit’s head took residency on her shoulder, one with the metal-like material that had formed there. 

“Hope you’re ready for this one hit.” Excitement bubbled out of her, adrenaline already beginning to pump at the promise of a fight. Kit seemed to chirp just as excitedly, the both of them excited to finally test their skills on someone new. Anora had always been an amazing opponent, but fights were so much more interesting when the enemy’s abilities were unknown. 

“You have 10 minutes. And go!”

She barely let his last sentence finish, charging him with the whip trailing behind her. When she got close, she saw his leg come up with an animal spirit attached to it. She yelped and dodged the movement, but the tree nearby wasn’t as lucky. The tree all but shattered in front of her eyes, catching Miyo off guard. Before Miyo could recover from the shock, she felt a rush of wind before being slammed into another nearby tree, the breath leaving her body and pain shooting up her back. 

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to go so hard.” Silva had commented towards the girl, a small smirk on his face. Five separate animal spirits adorned his body now including the bison that had hit the tree as well as a turtle, a snake, a coyote, and an Eagle. It seemed each of them was assigned to a part of his body, leaving no real blind spot for Miyo to take advantage of. That realization and his words managed to irritate Miyo. 

Anora had explained to the shaman many times that Miyo had a tendency of reading too much into the tone of voice, sometimes creating a false narrative that acted as an irritant. Despite having practiced several times over the years to not be so reactive, all Miyo could hear from him was arrogance. The idea that someone would have to go easy on her made her skin crawl.

“Oh, you’re gonna be sorry!” She shouted, another charge heading straight to him. While her furyoku wasn’t nearly as full as it would have been earlier that day, she still knew she had enough left for this fight.

Before Miyo could even touch him, Silva seemed to take flight. The wings of the eagle raised him out of her reach, causing her to slightly trip forward when she tried to stop herself. 

“I’m impressed that you have your oversoul down, though it looks like you are a bit impulsive.” He called out, arms crossed in front of him as the animal spirits surrounding him shared their own comments. 

“Such a shame that all the spirit control is in the hands of a little brat! This should be over in no time! The tournament has no place for weaklings! I’m shocked that you even have an animal spirit” The eagle that acted as Silva’s wings cried out, adding to Miyo’s annoyance. 

_What the hell is that even supposed to mean?!_

“Now, Silver Wing, what did we talk about earlier.” Miyo watched as Silva talked to his spirit partners, the turtle spirit also speaking up and attempting to quiet Silver Wing’s anger.

Miyo hummed before slinging her whip to a nearby tree, wrapping around tightly as she started to sprint. Using the whip to lift herself into the air and launch herself to him, Silva prepared for a frontal attack. Miyo didn’t want to figure out just what that attack would be. 

“Oh, no you don’t!” She shouted, the whip being released from the tree and then aiming for his leg while she still flew towards him. Silva moved to the side, dodging the incoming attack with ease. 

“You’ll have to do better than that if you want to enter this tournament!” Silva cried out, sounding as though he was trying to encourage her. His thoughts were interrupted by a noise behind him. The snake turned her attention, quickly announcing what she saw. 

“The tree behind us!”

The whip once again was attached to a tree, though this time when Miyo pulled on it, it snapped a large branch off. The coyote provided Silva’s speed as he was once again dodging an attack, quick movements to the side in order to not be caught between Miyo and the branch. He landed himself on a tree as he looked over at the girl. 

Miyo had landed back on the ground, bringing the whip back to her with a confident smirk on her face. 

“You’re clever, but small tricks will be no match for me,” Silva commented. If he was impressed, he wasn’t showing it. Then again, Miyo expected that not much could impress a Patch member since they worked closely with The Great Spirit. 

“Any chance I can get you to write down the fact I’m clever? I have a friend that would just love to hear that.” Miyo joked, a laugh bubbling out of her throat as she imagined Anora’s reaction to the comment. 

“Are you sure you’re in any position to be joking?” The older shaman questioned her seriousness, causing her to wave her hand at him lightly. 

“Oh don’t worry, you have my undivided attention. Doesn’t mean I can’t have fun though, right?” She grinned, beginning to store her Furyoku into the whip.

Silva appeared to be smiling, as his oversoul seemed to change. Each animal attached to one another, forming a canon that was now taking aim at the girl. 

“Let’s see if you can keep that positive attitude up. I’m sure I don’t need to explain to you how damaging a blast of Furyoku can be.” He stated, energy appearing to be drawn into the center of the canon.

The threat did not cause Miyo to falter. Instead, she readied her whip, narrowing her eyes as she anticipated his moves. 

When the blast shot from the canon, she raised her arm and flung the whip in front of her. A bright light encompassed the area as the two Furyoku’s clashed against one another. 

As the light cleared, Silva was shocked at the sight. It seemed that the girl had aimed her whip at the right point, breaking the focal point of his energy and having it split apart before it could have collided against her. The ground was scorched with two long marks that ran along with her previous position. He looked up in time to see the girl falling towards him, another jerking movement of her arm having the whip coming towards him. 

The impact of the whip against his chest caught him off guard, just enough force behind the hit to register it, but not enough to cause any kind of serious damage. 

Miyo landed in front of him, one knee hitting the ground and a victorious shout coming from the girl. She jumped up excitedly, oversoul falling apart, and Kit forming to be next to her.

“Hell yeah! You said a hit, that was a hit! C’mon, big guy, tell me the good news!” She grinned up at the older Shaman. 

Silva stared at her in bewilderment before he let out a laugh, shaking his head as his own oversoul diffusing. 

“What’s so funny?” She asked, confused as she tried to figure out just what she was missing. She didn’t say anything all that funny and a quick glance at Kit showed that he was just as confused. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. You just are...unexpected.” Silva spoke after he calmed down. His own spirits seemed just as confused as Miyo, but he shook it off with ease. He brought out a piece of technology and presented it to her. 

“As proof of your entrance, this is your oracle bell. You are an official participant of the Shaman tournament. This will alert you to details on your fights as well as provide other information on the tournament in general. Make sure to keep it on you at all times.”

Miyo grabbed it and quickly strapped it to her arm, a grin spreading across her face as she realized how much closer she was to her goal. 

“Awesome! Wait, can I ask you questions?” Miyo asked, excitement back as she looked over the small screen that now adorned her arm. 

“Whatever you need to know will be disclosed to you on this device. I have many other shamans to see to, but maybe in the future, we can speak more. Take care, Miyo. The journey in front of you is going to be a difficult, but rewarding one.” He patted her shoulder lightly before Silver Wing was once against hoisting him into the air. 

* * *

  
  
  
  


Miyo slung open the door to her hotel room, excitedly running into the living space she shared with Anora. 

“Anora! You’re not gonna believe this!” She called out, the door shutting loudly behind her as she walked into the room. Anora looked up from the magazine that was opened in front of her, an annoyed expression on her face. 

“Where’s the food?” Anora asked, arms folding in front of her chest as she seemed to analyze Miyo. In response to her question, Miyo looked down to realize all she had was the oracle bell with her. 

“Oh right...I knew I was forgetting something….”


	2. A Straining Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miyo gets notified of her first official match and can't wait to meet her opponent! That is, until, she's at the fight and is presented with a decision she didn't want to make.

It wasn’t long after Miyo got her Oracle bell that Anora got her own. Another patch member, Kalim, had contacted Anora and gave her the same challenge that Miyo was given, Anora passing the test rather flawlessly. The slightly older shaman had made sure to tease Miyo about the fact she managed to pass the test and bring home some food, but Miyo quickly brushed it off in favor of comparing the two bells.

With the technology resting on their forearms, they both had a feeling of accomplishment that was now driving them to train even harder. Since the test, both Shamans continued to push one another in ways only other shamans could understand. Each night that passed without a notification from the oracle bell only added to their excitement and thus contributed to the intensity of their training. 

It was a cold day when Miyo would get her first notification. The young woman had been meditating on the roof and she had been lucky no one else was around to see her startled jump. 

Miyo quickly made her way to the private bath that she knew Anora was at, quickly pulling back the door and running in. 

“Hey! It’s bad enough that I have to share the room with you, can I please get some alone time for the bath?!” Anora shouted, not bothering to cover herself up in favor of grabbing a simple loofa and throwing it at the energetic woman. 

Kit made a small noise as he moved to avoid the brush going through him. 

“I finally got the information on my fight! Look!” Miyo ran over to the edge of the tub and shoved her arm in front of the other’s face, a grin stretched as the oracle bell flashed the message one more time. Luckily she had already memorized the information when it first came through. 

Anora grabbed her arm and used a few of the buttons to see if she could scroll on it. 

“They really do give the bare minimum information, huh? Least you know when and where though. That’s only in a few days...did they mean to wait till the last minute?” Anora asked despite knowing that there was no one present to answer. 

Miyo shrugged before pulling her arm back and standing up, eyes trained on the device. 

“Maybe they don’t want us trying to research our opponents? Or seek them out prior to the fight?” She suggested, hands going to her hips as she looked towards Kit who seemed uninterested in the conversation. Her faithful fox spirit was never much for conversation unless it involved her safety.

Vala emerged from Anora’s necklace then, offering their input. Their presence was always intimidating, their light taking on a humanoid shape. Miyo wondered if it was to try and appear less intimidating to children since she knew Vala fell into Anora’s hands at a young age, but considering how unnerved Miyo was now she doubted it. 

“That seems to be the most likely options, though it is the Great Spirit that plans these things, not the Patch.” The entity’s voice was made up of a few of Anora’s ancestors' voices, making for an unpleasant sound. Miyo found Vala’s speech to be haunting, though she supposed it could not be helped. After 4 years she should be used to it. 

“Right, it controls the messages too… Well, either way, looks like I’m fighting one Abelard in a week at...well, wherever these coordinates lead me to I guess. Probably means it’s at a distance from any officially named places.”

“It’s probably going to be in a park or forest.” Anora moved to cross her arms over the tub edge, watching as Miyo continued to poke at the contraption. After a moment she extended her hand out, prompting Miyo to grab the earlier discarded loofa and hand it back.

“Well, guess this means I better do all I can for training. Bet yours is going to go off any minute now. Do you have it in here?”

“Yeah, it’s on the chair. Now can you please get out? I’ll scream if I get the alert.” Anora joked, earning another grin from Miyo before she skipped out, Kit following after.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


The time for the fight had approached Miyo quicker than she anticipated, nearly missing the deadline but managing to find the location at the last second. Anora accompanied her upon request, Miyo asking her to keep an eye on the fight so they could figure out what she would need to improve on. It also just helped her nerves to have a friend nearby, though she hoped that was implied. 

Anora had been correct in her assumption, the two of them finding themselves in a dense forest with a river cutting through the lush ground. Miyo grinned and sat herself down on a log, ready to wait patiently for the next few minutes to pass. Anora sat beside her, crossing her legs as she did so in one fluent motion.

“Ooooo I’m so excited… what do you think they are gonna be like?” Miyo asked, eyes scanning the forest surrounding them to see if she could spot her competitor. Many of the leaves were shriveled up and falling to the ground, but this did not take away the forests’ beauty. Miyo could not have imagined a better place for her first official match. 

“Well, I’m assuming they are gonna be ready to fight since that’s what we are doing in this tournament.” Anora gave her a quick response, a hand lightly messing with the pendent that adorn her neck and acted as a home for Vala. It looked as though she herself was nervous for Miyo’s fight.

“I know that, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t get along afterward right?” Miyo added, turning her attention to her faithful spirit who nodded. Kit may not have cared for humans much, but he did care for Miyo.

“You know how well we tend to ‘get along’ with people. I say you keep your expectations on the low, alright?” Anora crossed her arms as they continued to wait for Miyo’s opponent. It seemed she was done with this hypothetical situation and wanted to focus on not getting caught off guard by a sudden presence. 

Silence fell over the friends and while Miyo didn’t mind the silence usually, she still wanted to fill with some conversation. She recalled a dream that occurred last night, though she was still trying to decide if it was a nightmare. What had started out as cold and dark turned into a feeling of warmth when a voice she didn’t recognize had spoken to her, offering comfort. She tried to recall all she could from the dream, the simple conversation within it escaping her. 

  
  


_It’s so cold...It’s so dark. Am I alone? No, I can’t be..._

_“Asaha, I’m scared.” Am I speaking?_

_The dream itself had no details, but there was an immense pressure all around her. She didn’t know why she was afraid, but the fear she felt was heavier than anything she had felt before. Every time she tried to take a breath, it was as though someone had their hands around her throat, making it almost painful to do so._

_Then there was a...warmth._

_“Why? I’m right here.” Comfort._

_“Those people…”_

_“I know. Humans are cruel...but you have me here.” Peace. That was all she could think of with this voice was the word ‘peace’._

  
  


And that was all she could recall. She wondered briefly if it had anything to do with her previous lives? If some, Anora, or the more likely person, Vala could give her some idea what the dream was. Anora came from a family that had, evidently, been tasked to keep her from returning to her evil ways. She had no memories of her past incarnations thanks to Anora’s ancestors, and now Anora was to keep her from joining up with someone named Hao. Miyo didn’t know any real details about Hao. She knew he was a monster, a mass murderer, and a manipulator. Still, she had to wonder who this Asaha was. Was he another victim of Hao? 

Miyo turned to Anora to finally bring it up, but before any sound left her mouth her attention was quickly drawn to the aura that was approaching them. The energy felt dense and dark, both words she didn’t tend to associate with people’s spiritual power. In fact, she usually would argue that spiritual power itself could not be tainted, but evidently, she stands corrected. 

“Looks like he’s here…” Anora commented, causing Miyo to stand up and narrow her eyes to see the man stepping through the trees. 

The man was dressed in a black cassock with what appeared to be a rosary around his neck. He was a tall and angular man, a pleasant smile on his face as he approached the two women. 

Miyo’s earlier excitement quickly faded. Despite his friendly demeanor, Miyo could tell something was not right. 

  
  


“Good Evening. I assume you are Miyo” The man addressed her, his hands moving to clasp in front of him. If Miyo had to describe his movements, it was that of a predator feigning innocence. His gestures were meant to be soft, but there was still a sinister intent behind them. 

Miyo hesitated before nodding. 

“Abelard right?” Miyo knew it was pointless to verify who he was right then, but she could not think of anything else to say. Actually, the more she thought of it, the more she wished she didn’t say anything. It felt like the words acted as an invitation for whatever dark energy he harbored. 

“Yes. It seems that you and I are about to fight. Would you like to move over so that we don’t disrupt your friend’s seat?” Despite addressing Anora, he made no real movement to acknowledge her. His eyes had not even disconnected from Miyo’s to glance in the other shaman’s direction.

“Don’t move on my account. If it gets close, I’ll get out of the way in time.” Anora stated, her eyes just as fixated on the man as Miyo’s was. Anora was also on high alert, proving to Miyo that it was not just her imagination. 

When the Oracle bell announced the start of the fight, Miyo barely had time to finish equipping her oversoul before Abelard had landed his first attack. His oversoul took the image of an enlarged one-handed flail, his medium of the rosary being cased in the image. When she felt the spiked impact against her arm, she thought she had managed to move far enough to keep the impact from hurting, but a sharper pain shot through her arm and into her chest.

She let out a slew of curses as she all but crumbled to the ground. She quickly brought herself out of it before he landed his second hit, Miyo jumping back just in time. The weird pain in her chest continued, making it difficult to stay focused. 

“Do you feel that pull at your heart? My oversoul has a unique ability that I think you'd rather like” The man commented as he slowly stood back up, the large spiked ball dragging along the dirt and uprooting the plants there.

“Somehow I don’t believe you.” Miyo stood up, attempting to refocus as to ignore the pain. She wasn’t going to give him the time to monologue, launching into her own attack. 

As she jumped to avoid another hit, she lashed her whip out to strike him. She knew that it made contact when she heard the sharp crack, but the man did not fall back, nor did he wince. 

By the time she landed on the ground, another attack was coming her way. 

“Ya know, bigger weapons are supposed to move slow, or did you miss that class!” She shouted, narrowly dodging once again. 

“I think you’ll find that I only play to the rules of god!” He shouted back at her, changing how he was holding his weapon so that he could sling it around himself when she tried to get closer. 

It had been too late to change her direction completely, knowing one of the limbs nearby could just easily snap if she grabbed it, so instead her whip wrapped around one of his arms, letting herself be pulled straight into him. She held up her other hand, Kit’s claws forming over her nails as she prepared to take a swipe at his face, but before she could a smirk formed on his face.

The next thing Miyo knew, she was sent flying again, an impact hitting her side and causing her to be flung into a tree. Luckily the oversoul mostly protected her, but it was still jarring. 

“I’m connected with my oversoul in more ways than one. To become the best we shamans learn to sacrifice anything, even if it means our own lives. Thanks to my sacrifices, I don’t need to move around for my weapon to do the same!”

“What a neat party trick! Too bad for you I have a few of my own. C’mon Kit!” She lifted her whip before striking it against the ground, the whip penetrating the ground. 

They shot back up by the man, 4 individual streams of energy tying each of the man's limbs. Once that was accomplished, she pulled the whip back towards her, bringing the man down to the ground and effectively pinning him. His hand let go of his medium, but a line of furyoku still connected him to it. 

When Miyo stood up confidently, ready to add another attack, she froze when she saw the man cough up blood. There was no way she pulled him down that hard. Was that even possible?

When she looked towards his weapon, she noticed the line of energy was dimming, and with each dimming, he choked more. The color was leaving his face as she was hit with a terrifying realization about what sacrifices he could mean. Her oversoul loosened around him, retreating back to its original form as he quickly moved to grab his weapon. 

There was no denying the connection that already existed between furyoku and life force, but they were not so intertwined to cause such a reaction. 

The man chuckled as he stood up, the back of his hand wiping at the blood there while he stared her down with a piercing gaze. 

“Oh? What’s the matter? Is the child not ready to face the ultimate sacrifice?” He taunted, preparing himself to attack once again. 

She had been in such a state of shock that she almost forgot about the fight, Kit forcefully protecting her from the next blow. She fell to the ground, sliding along the ground as she tried to recollect herself. Why would he even do that?! There was no true point in doing such a foolish sacrifice! 

“What the hell man?!” She called out, glaring at her opponent in both confusion and fear, standing up to ready herself for another attack. 

She couldn’t take a life. Not now. 

“My life force is directly connected to my furyoku. When the average shaman runs out, my actual life force picks up where it leaves off. This way I can truly give my all and become the Shaman King. The Ultimate Sacrifice!” He explained, holding his weapon up as if to analyze it. 

“So then...if I did deplete your furyo-”

“That’s right! I’ll only run out if I’m dead! You’ll have to kill me to get by, and I think we both know you won’t do that!” The man shouted, sending another barrage of attacks her way. 

All Miyo could do was dodge. A man's life was now placed in her hands and suddenly her confidence in becoming the Shaman King was dwindling. She knew she could win this fight. She knew she would be able to overpower him. But was it worth it? 

She had sworn to not resort to this. While death, to her, was just another chapter, she felt too strongly about her past lives being littered with unjust murders and deceit. When Anora had told her a few of the gruesome details, she pledged to try and be nothing like her former self. It was not her right to take another’s life and she refused to do so now!

She felt the ground before she felt the actual collision of his weapon to her chest. Her focus had broken completely and with the scraping of rocks on her back, and with that she let her oversoul fall apart. She laid there for a minute, deaf to the sounds of the man celebrating or her friend showing concern. How could she have such strength yet be so weak? Was she really going to have to cast aside her morals for this tournament? Can a King not show mercy? Is that why the stakes were so high? She slowly picked herself off the ground, standing there in thought as the winner was announced. 

“Miyo, are you okay?” Anora tried to approach the shaman but was shrugged off as soon as her hand touched her shoulder. Suddenly everything was too much. All of Miyo’s senses were flooded and she had to get away from it all.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Her sentence was short, detached. It didn’t even sound like her own voice when she spoke it, but she knew the words had to be her own since no one else was there. 

“Miyo, I know you're frustrated bu-” Anora wasn’t given time to finish her sentence. All she could see was Kit floating after Miyo as quickly as possible. 

* * *

Miyo didn’t realize how long she had been walking till the sky had turned dark and her feet had begun to ache. The whole time she was replaying the fight in her head, trying to formulate some way she could have won that would not have killed the guy. 

She knew that at some point she would have to come to terms with taking someone's life. The tournament was going to be filled with people just as passionate as she was and would be ready to take her life when needed, so in turn, she should be ready to do the same. Still, she hesitated. There was this nagging fear in the back of her mind that she would turn into a bloodthirsty monster the minute she succumbed to killing. 

When she had started to uncover details about her past incarnations, it became all too clear how devoted to her cause she had been. Lives were ruined, taken, shown no mercy...she wanted to distance herself as far as possible from that image. 

She figured she must have been somewhat successful since she did let that man live, but the fact she lost was now eating away at her. Great. She had just started this tournament and already her resolve was shaken. 

“You seem out of place.” 

The voice that drew her out of her fast-paced thoughts demanded attention and brought her eyes off the ground to look for the speaker. Her eyes moved along the almost barren trees surrounding her until they fell on a man that was leaning against one of them. 

He appeared to be her age, though his presence carried power with it that was unseen. At that moment, she could not think of a more attractive person. Both his eyes and hair were a beautiful earthly shade of brown that she could equate to the soil from which the lushest forest could grow. Confidence seemed to be an accessory to him, almost distracting her from his interesting wardrobe. A pale poncho combined with tripp pants were pulled together with shoes that seemed to feature building blocks that made no other appearance. She had never seen a similar outfit before and she thought to herself he was one of the few that could pull it off. She wondered how different it would look in the day. 

There was a knowing smirk on his face.

“Could say the same about you. Haven’t seen many people wearing a poncho around here.” She narrowed her eyes, just now realizing that tears had fallen from them during her walk. She quickly moved to wipe at them, frustrations coming out as low grumbles. The last thing she needed was some stranger ridiculing her for having emotions.

The man hummed and stood up straight, making his way over to her. His very presence weighed heavily and while she didn’t feel as threatened as she did with Abelard, she still did not trust him. Quickly, she moved into a fighting stance, fists clenching as she tried to calculate what strength she did have. Her furyoku had not been depleted during the fight, but the intense emotions she felt left her exhausted. 

Her thoughts were interrupted as the stranger let out a laugh, holding his hands up to try and show he meant no harm. 

“I wasn’t looking for a fight. You have a leaf stuck to your hair…” he gestured to the side of her head, his movements soft as to not cause concern. Slowly, Miyo reached a hand up to feel where he had been pointing and noticed the brittle leaf. She huffed and tossed it on the ground, face flushing in embarrassment. Not only was she jumpy, but she was also probably covered in dirt. This night seemed to keep getting better by the minute. 

“What do you want? Can’t you see I’m a bit busy? Most people leave others alone when they see them mope in the forest.” Miyo commented, annoyance growing. It didn’t matter how handsome the man was, she was not in a proper state to communicate with anyone. What she needed was to be left alone. 

“Normally, but I couldn’t let a beautiful woman like you continue to look so defeated. It’s my responsibility to at least try and brighten your mood.” His arms had fallen to his side again and the poncho covered him completely once more. 

At any other time, Miyo would have been flattered. Today, however, she was not impressed and found this conversation to be getting on her nerves already. Her eyes rolled and she crossed her arms in front of her. She wasn’t so naive to believe his compliments were innocent, but with the added context of her recent fight, she was even less likely to entertain him. 

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why exactly would it be your responsibility? I don’t know you and considering how forward you’re being, I’m not sure if I want to.” She spoke back sharply, wanting to show that she did not feel like actually talking. His piercing and haunting gaze would have to find someone else to mess with!

She probably could have just walked away instead and that would have been a better sign that she didn’t desire a conversation, but she had been doing her best to not be rude.

“I’m Zeke. There, now you know me. And it’s my responsibility since it’s every king's duty to know the issues of his people.” This ‘Zeke’ spoke as though she should have already known his status, his tone casual.

“....King?...” at first she was confused, eyebrows furrowing. And then she realized just what he may have been referencing, but there was no way he was already boasting about…. 

“Wait...you mean the shaman king?” She asked, her patience growing thinner as she realized his confidence may not have just been an accessory, but his entire being. 

“I’ll be the very one.” Zeke grinned and Miyo snorted. And here she thought she was being too confident at times. 

“Hah, good luck with that. You’ll have to beat me to get there and I don’t plan on going down so easy!” She quickly defended herself in this still hypothetical fight, eyes still firmly set on becoming the Shaman King. Her resolve had quickly stiffened back up when he spoke. She might have had a mishap this first match, but it wouldn’t happen again. 

“Are you so sure about that? Cause it seems like you did just lose a fight.” The words caught Miyo off guard and Zeke’s eyes narrowed in an almost accusatory manner. Now his grin felt as though he were mocking her.

“...How did you know that?” Suddenly the air around her was too thick again. It felt as though she was breathing through a towel that had been soaked in boiling water. 

“The fights are all broadcasted to other shamans either to a tv that they share in the offered living spaces or by other means.. sorry to say your defeat was quite public. I’m shocked you didn’t know this already.” His tone made it seem like he had genuine disbelief that she didn’t know about the broadcasts, but she wasn’t sure if it was his brand of sarcasm. 

“Well shit. Guess that’s humbling.” Then again, there was no point in getting discouraged. There was no doubt that others may use her morals to get the high road, but maybe she could use that to her advantage. “...Doesn’t matter, I’m gonna win the next two. So what, you came to find me and ridicule me or something? Kind of weird to seek out a stranger like this.” It was her turn to be accusatory. There was no way he had just happened to be in the area, especially if he mentioned he had watched the fight. He must have sought her out, but as to why he would she wasn’t sure.

“Not ridicule. Just offer some advice. Your power is impressive and I could always prosper from that being on my si-” 

“Well, let me stop you there. I’m doing this for me and that’s it.” Miyo was quick to interrupt him, not wanting to even entertain the thought. She had decided everything she did was going to be for herself and, maybe, Anora since she was her friend. 

“I’m not asking you to work with me yet, don’t worry. I don’t think it would do much good now if you did say yes. In truth though, I want to see you later on in the tournament. You seem like fun.” Was he getting closer to her? She tensed. 

“...Okay then, Zeke. What’s your advice? Don’t see how someone else my age would have that much more wisdom than me. And if you just wrap this up and go ‘oh, just be okay with killing people’ I won’t hesitate to hit you.” She threatened, fist-clenching slightly as if her body was already preparing to do so. Senseless violence may not be her favorite coping mechanism, in fact, she frowned upon it, but god damn it if he tells her what she was already figuring out!

“I know how pointless that would be. You seemed very passionate about not taking that man's life at the time and I’m sure you’re already making peace with the fact that you will have to kill. For now though, if you’re so adamant on not taking people's lives, maybe you should focus on how to render them unconscious.” He was getting closer. He turned to walk around her, most likely gauging her reaction to his words. 

“When he was separated from his oversoul it pulled at his life force. How would simply making him unconscious not do the same?” She asked, eyes no longer following Zeke's movements and she tried to piece the offered solution together. 

“When someone is unconscious and their oversoul unequips, they can no longer channel any energy into it, including their own. Is going to sleep the same as dying? The solution is a simple one, but given how dire he made the situation, there is no wonder you didn’t think of it.” 

“...Shit... I should have just hit that bastard with a rock and knocked him out.” Her hand met her forehead as she realized how stupid she had been. Why the hell did she not think about knocking him out? Did she even have enough control of her attacks to make them less lethal? She would have to talk it through with Anora.

“Well maybe not a rock, but you get the point.” He had stopped his movements to stand to her side. She should have been uncomfortable, but oddly enough she felt fine. 

“And why are you trying to help me again? I will be your enemy so you should probably just have let me lose...” His reasoning from earlier still didn’t make much sense. 

“I told you. I think watching you fight is rather entertaining. Plus, I’d rather have the strongest opponents if I’m going to have any at all. Makes things less boring. Also,-“ his hand reached out and touched a strand of her hair, moving it to the side as if it were blocking his view. “-you’re nice to look at.”

Miyo moved to pull herself away from him, letting her hair fall from his grasp as she attempted to judge the purpose behind his actions. 

“You’re flirting with me now?” She asked, his actions confusing her further. She figured he could be using it as an intimidation tactic, but he could probably intimidate someone in other ways. No, this seemed too genuine. Why was he wanting to get close to her?

“That's a problem?” He asked, keeping his eyes locked on hers and his smile still not wavering. For some reason, this was what made her cheeks heat up. The actual flirting she could write off as someone being nice, but him confirming it made it undeniable. She shouldn’t have asked. 

“...No...I guess not…” Her eyes diverted away from Zeke, no longer able to keep eye contact. It did feel a little nice to be complimented again now that she had calmed down. Earlier she felt too much like a fool at the moment to accept it, but there was no harm in it now. At least, none that she could fully make out.

“Well, I’ll see you later Miyo. You should probably head back to wherever you’re staying. Don’t want you running into other strangers out here. I’d prefer to be the only one.” He joked, holding an arm out as if to point her to an exit. 

“Yeah…okay...it’s getting cold out anyway…” As she spoke it, her body became more aware of it. It was then that she realized all he had was the poncho. It must have been made of a very dense material since her own clothing only offered a little protection against the wind. 

“It is, isn’t it? Wouldn’t want you freezing out here before the next fight.” His grin had long turned into a pleasant smile. She thought to herself that she rather liked that look on him. 

“You too, Zeke…And thanks, I guess.” 

He nodded in response, waving as she turned to leave. He was a weird guy, but she figured he couldn’t be all that bad. 

  
  


Once she got home, she figured she didn’t need to tell Anora about her random visitor. She was still embossed that she even needed Zeke to point out the solution so, instead, she sat down with Anora and began to bring up a new fighting tactic.

Anora was kind enough to not bring up how her dear friend had been crying when she walked away. Miyo was silently thankful for that. The last thing she wanted to do was bring it back up and try to talk through it. She also wasn’t sure how she would explain why she was no longer that upset over her loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It took me a while to work on, but I like how it turned out!


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